Duty of a Network Warrior
by Chromace
Summary: On a mission to regain her memories, Aizawa Inori explores the world of the Internet, reconnecting with her past acquaintances, beating up malicious malware and relearning what it truly means to be a Web Browser.
1. Awakening

**Disclaimer: I do not own Aizawa Inori nor anything affiliated towards her, except for this FanFiction.  
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Light…that was the first impression that I experienced of the world. I bathed in its warm incandescence and was just getting comfortable, when as suddenly as it came, it departed. Raising myself up carefully, I took in my current surroundings. It was a small, clinical room, rather bare except for the comfortable hospital bed I was sitting on…bliss. Why did I wake up in the first place anyway? Closing my eyes, I laid my head back onto the pillow, when I was interrupted by a polite throat clearing.

'Ahem…' The source of interruption came from a young man sitting next to my bed, with a look of slight puzzlement from being ignored for so long, but also…concern. He wasn't saying a word though, as if looking for the right thing to say and was absent-mindedly brushing away his dark fringe, so it was up to me to break the ice.

'Uh…I don't mean to be rude, but who exactly are you? Looking at that coat, you're probably some kind of scientist right?' To my slight relief, he replied. Good. Just antisocial…probably. But it didn't explain his flinch.

'Ah! Um…yes, of sorts. It's good to…make an acquaintance with you…' trailing off, probably since he didn't know my name yet. Whoops.

'Aizawa. Aizawa Inori. It's nice to meet you…' And then I also stopped, realising I also had no idea what his name was.

'Eulith. Donovan. And I truly hope that memory loss of yours goes away soon.' Huh? Amnesia? The look on my face prompted Eulith to explain.

'I did warn the surgeons about this risk. Usually, updates never cause this sort of problem. However, you, Inori, are different. For some reason, changes in your programming leave you in a blank state. I had just recovered your memories when they announced another operation on you.' Huh. Amnesia. It didn't really feel that way, I mean, I hadn't forgotten how to breathe or anything and I had no idea what he meant about 'programming'. But it did explain his puzzlement.

'So…does that mean I knew you?' and if a librarian could explode, Eulith did just that.

'_Knew_ me? You…we…' spluttering, but then, as abruptly as his fit started, Eulith subsided, resumed his contemplative state, brushed his fringe back again and sat back down.

'I suppose you've also forgotten where we are, and what you're role here is as well?' he said, rather sullenly.

'To be honest…yes.' Darn it. Only after did I realise how tactless sounding that was.

Eulith stood back up and gave a hand to me.

'Then I suppose it's time to re-introduce you to the World Wide Web,' he paused, after I had successfully extricated myself from the covers and added, as if on afterthought 'but you may want to change out of that extremely revealing one-piece. Even the Internet has stan…' Wait...what the heck?! How could I have not noticed what I was wearing? I grabbed at the bed sheets and quickly wrapped them around me. I probably wouldn't have stood out at a toga party. In regards to Eulith's politeness, I was glad he didn't laugh. He opened the door, fingers crossed to somewhere with better clothes.

'The women's changing rooms are to the left. Hopefully you'll be able to find something a little more modest.'

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**Please review. **

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**Well, I hope to see more about Inori. Guess I'll be racking my brains for now. Expect weekly updates. ^_^**


	2. New

**At risk of sounding repetitive, I do not own Aizawa Inori, nor anything affiliated to her, apart from this FanFiction.**

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Looking in the mirror, I attempted to adjust the dress up a notch, trying to minimise the exposure that the extremely low-cut and slightly oversized thing gave me. It was just my luck that this building (Eulith called it 'Microsoft') happened to be a _software company. _Sure, cleavage-revealing executive suits were fine for some top-secret conference. A lady probably had to use her charm to get her point across to certain kinds of men, but for walking? Out in the open? The only relief I had was the realisation that Eulith, in his white lab coat, would probably draw most of the attention away from me. In a last ditch attempt, I pulled at the suit, and then finally gave up with a resigned sigh. A slight girl in her early adulthood stared back. I realised that the memory loss had taken away the knowledge of my appearance. The figure had dark blond hair, hanging in subtle waves, a little past her shoulders. Her blue eyes, despite being filled with a little despair at her current attire, hinted of happiness and curiosity. Everything seemed to be fine with me; there were no deformities to speak of. Self-love aside, I might even be considered kind of cute. Still, something felt…missing. The reflection copied my frown. The knocking on the change room door gave me no time to dwell on it. How long had I been in here for? I hurriedly looked at the clock. Crap! Fifteen minutes?! I slipped on the most comfortable pair of shoes in the room (thank god for flats) and burst through the door, slightly surprising Eulith, who was standing right next to the entrance. Any closer and we'd have to visit the medical room again…and for more than amnesia! And how exactly did he manage to change out of that lab coat into a perfectly respectable pair of jeans and a trench coat (AND a paperboy cap? Not only that, he actually could pull it off?)?

'You needn't have rushed.' Like he could talk! I almost went back into the changing room when a reflection in his hand caught my eye. Curiosity is a great annoyance killer. Eulith caught my interest.

'It's yours Inori, so there's no need for your looking at it like that. Here.' First impressions made me think it was some kind of mirror, but on closer inspection, it revealed itself as a shield shaped brooch, with Damascus steel like grooves on the surface. It felt…familiar. I looked back at Eulith, now showing a hint of eagerness.

'Is there anything…?' I shook my head.

'Sadly…but I did sort of recognise it a little.' He physically slumped, then straightened up again.

'I was hoping…never mind. You used to wear it right…there.' pointing to my left collar. I started fumbling with the clip at the back of the badge when Eulith stopped me.

'Don't put it on right now! While it represents your role in this world, things could get…inconvenient if people see it. If you were in a better state, it would be fine, no, necessary to wear it, but for now…keep it in your breast pocket. Yes, that's perfect. Now shall we get going?' With Eulith leading the way, with me trailing a little, I was left to my own thoughts, wondering what kind of world the Internet was like.

_'Think of this world as Second Life, it's real, but not completely. It'll make things much easier.' _That was the advice which Eulith gave me before we exited the building. I still wasn't prepared for the spectacle. Luckily for me, the amnesia left my memories of Earth intact, so I had something to compare the Internet with. It was so…vibrant! People were everywhere, in the nearby park, some just recovering from a shopping spree – just going about their daily business, but I could almost feel the life inside them. There was also the conspicuous absence of cars. But the biggest difference from the cities I was used to was the sheer expanse it covered. There weren't any skyscrapers, the tallest structures only reaching three stories high. Instead, it seemed like the buildings grew outward instead of upward. How could I possibly forget such a place? Eulith let me stare a little, and then took my hand, leading me past the maze of stalls and greenery, until we came to an open shop, with the words 'Iced Delights' printed in a fancy script on the roof. He led me to an ice cream parlour?

'What…?'

'It's a treat. Sit down and I'll buy some. Do you have any preference?'

'Not really, but I'd rather look.' It was a simple place, very open, with a few containers of various coloured ice cream and just one salesgirl.

'One mint-chocolate and vanilla thank-you.' Eulith said, and the clerk immediately followed, vigorously scooping out a dollop onto each cone. In return, he gave her a soiled slip of paper with a few sentences on it. Despite its appearance, it seemed like acceptable currency, because she smiled and ushered us to the nearest seats. Admittedly, I was curious.

'You didn't give her money?'

'There are many commodities more valuable than a piece of metal or plastic. The only difference is the Internet accepts them as legal tender. Information is one of the most so. In this case, it was some customer feedback. Try out the ice cream. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.' I could recognise what most things were, but it was like I hadn't attached any emotions towards those objects. In the case of this food, neither pleasure nor hatred was connected to it. I gave a tentative lick of the speckled green ice cream. It was…stimulating and refreshing. Delicious! I started biting at it, wincing as the cold pained my teeth, but enjoying it nonetheless. Soon, I had devoured the thing whole, while Eulith was still in the middle of finishing his vanilla ice cream. He paused as soon as I looked at him and smiled, gently and kindly, full of happiness…and another, indecipherable emotion which lit my vision up.

"You still like mint ice cream I see." Yes, it was definitely delicious, but it was much more than that. Eulith had given a part of me back with that treat. I returned his smile, hopefully conveying my gratitude properly.

"Thanks." I murmured, not quite sure about what else to say. "We should try making this a habit."

"Every second week. We came here, at the same time, to the exact same store…even the seats we're on right now." With those words came a feeling of dawning over me, like a subconscious epiphany. A cascade of different images, too quick to comprehend, began to slow, until they coalesced into…a memory.

"If they were even a slightly misplaced, we'd move them back to where they were. And then after our ice creams we'd sit and talk about nothing and everything, cherishing a day where we could release our worries of the fortnight." Sitting in shared silence for a while, it seemed natural to just slip my hand into Eulith's.

"To be honest, I had nearly given up all hope that the Inori I knew still existed. But now…I can relax." I wondered exactly what kind of person I was before the update. Kind? Compassionate? Eulith noticed his ice cream starting to drip and hastily polished it off. Gradually, in a gesture to attract his attention, I released his hand. When he noticed, I began talking.

"Eulith, that person…who I used to be, could you help me find her? And this world…there's still so much I don't know yet." If each day could be like this, to enjoy ice cream with someone I cherished…but to not even properly know why I was doing so? Nor properly know the person? The wish to know who I was, rather than just my name and face, was overpowering. He replied in the affirmative.

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**Please review constructively.**

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**Yay! A sweet moment. Hopefully I'll be able to expand on this place and add a few more characters.**


	3. Reunion

**Regular disclaimer: I do not own Aizawa Inori nor anything affiliated to her apart from this Fan-fiction.**

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"So we're meeting a friend of mine? And I guess I've also forgotten about him or her, right?" I asked Eulith as we passed the stalls we came through, at a brisk pace. He gave a casual smile. It was a nice change from the tight lipped scientist.

"Precisely. Your friend is a she by the way. Considering that you've known her for at least ten years now, she'll be happy to help. She'll still be in the city since it's morning, but we have to move quickly." We exited the maze of stalls and re-entered the main footpaths. I scrutinised the vista, on the lookout for a 'silver-haired girl, with an elegant dress'. Tough, considering the amount of people around.

"Eulith, how exactly are we going to find my friend in this kind of condition?"

"It's easier than you think. She's in…high demand. Look out for a rambunctious crowd clutching envelopes." I heard slightly desperate voices floating towards us.

_"Look miss. I can't bring it mys –"_

_ "But __**my **__needs are more urgent than yours, boy!"_

I whirled around. We'd just passed it! On the opposing footpath, a paparazzi-sized mob of people were surrounding what looked like…a mop of silver hair.

_"Please, you've got to send this mail to –"_

_ "Forget that man! Take this to –"_

Shouting over the crowd, the silver-haired girl stood up on the bench behind her, with a sack as large as a first prize plush doll in her hand. I pushed at the crowd a little, eager to see if I had any memories of her. From what I could see behind all the people, she looked a little older than me, with a serene looking face – currently masked with desperation. I felt a twinge of recognition, a sort of _déjà vu _sensation, but that was all.

"Everyone, please! I _understand_ that you're _all _desperate to reach your families and friends, to comfort them with your kind letters. I _know_ that you can't cross the unprotected parts of the Internet yourself at risk of death! But this is **all** I can do today!" It looked like she was used to giving these kinds of speeches. The crowd slowly dispersed, a few despondent, realising that she was going to stick to her words. After the last of the mob, a young boy, was firmly ushered away, the girl collapsed onto the bench, her long bangs covering her face and let her sack lie on the space beside her.

"I'm sorry…so sorry…" I heard her murmur, as we approached. I looked at Eulith. _Wait right there. _Then I slipped quietly onto the bench beside her. But now what? She tucked her bangs back firmly behind her ears and stared at me, her dark-blue eyes filled with tears. My friend (?) took a sharp intake of breath and made a shaky attempt to speak.

"I…Inori…" and in the next moment, I was embracing a stranger, slightly surprised that it was me who did so. The twinge of recognition became a roar, flooding my senses. _'Déjà vu.' _I realised. And then my subconscious took over.

_My friend never cried. Joyful, empathetic, a shouting fit maybe, but she never, ever shed a tear. Well…maybe once, when we were both very little…_

_ "The tree, 'Nori! You've gotta climb it!" I trembled at the oak's imposing height. Why couldn't I be like her? My wonderful, dearest friend, brave enough to climb the 'monster'…_

_ "B...But…I can't! Fia, I can't!" She smiled at me from one of the trunks, and then nimbly clambered down, her short silver bob framing her head._

_ "Yes you can! One…Two…" The counting worked, and I struggled to wrap my hands and feet around the thick, coarse trunk. Clenching my jaw, I closed my eyes, inching up the beast. "Look how high you are 'Nori!" It was my mistake to look down…and then the world…dropped. Then my arm! As if it was on fire! I realised I was crying. _

_ "INORI!" I saw Fia sobbing, kneeling next to me, and mirroring my tears. "Your…your arm!" Fighting the tears, I looked at it. My elbow was sticking out at the end. I looked away. I'm sorry…so sorry…my…fault…" she repeated, through her shaky breaths. I reached out to her with my good hand, the other already darkening, and she gently wrapped herself around me._

_ "Fia, it's okay. It's okay. Thank-you, for teaching me to be brave… like you, Fia." More tears came from us, despite our shared comfort. Fia…Oph...ia… _The memory of a girl, and her first tears…the scenes knit together and a name rose to the surface. _Opera. The kind-hearted, the gentle…and my closest friend…_

"Ophelia." I murmured quietly, the memory complete, "It's good to see you again." Then pulling each other tighter into our comfort, we stayed there, until Ophelia's sobs gradually subsided. We quietly straightened up, and Ophelia wiped the remaining tears with the sleeve of her dress.

"Inori…I'm sorry you had to see me like this. It's just…to do all this…but it's like I'm not doing anything! And what's a browser worth, if she can't do even that?" Her eyes began to moisten again. What could I say to that? To a person having an identity crisis, how could I comfort her? Oh…wait a second…

"Ophelia, there's something I've got to say," No going back now. This is what friends are for. "I've…lost most of my memories. Even my knowledge about you, up until we met today, was only limited to what Eulith told me. I'm not trying to compare our problems or anything stupid like that…but please…don't, don't give up. I think…we can help each other through this, just like now…" I trailed. Now what? Luckily, Eulith had magically appeared next to us and stepped in.

"You two have gone through practically everything together. I hope this is no exception, Opera…?" She stood up, clutching a necklace which looked like a…star. I followed.

"Inori, we're…meant to help people, doing the things they can't. Your memories probably require some practical work to jog them." I caught on, noticing her large bag of envelopes still on the seat.

"So, a few delivery errands?" It didn't seem too bad, until I remembered what Ophelia said about crossing the Internet _on risk of death._

"It's not _that_ bad!" she reassured me, likely having noticed my panic, "You just need the right…safety measures. Eulith, you gave Inori her brooch, right? The shield shaped one?" he replied in the affirmative. I took it out of my breast pocket as proof, the badge gently sparkling.

"I suppose that's where I take my leave. As a final note, you two, try not to be seen when you exit the firewall. I still need to explain your absence to a few…authorities, but it should be fine, especially since you're in no condition to work with actual clients." So the whole 'memory jogging' had been an escapade! It was kind of nice for Eulith to do that, admittedly. I waved to him as Ophelia and I walked away.

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**Review constructively, thanks!**

**Hopefully, we'll also get to see more of the other web browsers.**


	4. Encounter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Aizawa Inori, nor anything affiliated with her. This is totally non-canon.**

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The edge of the city held a few suburb-styled houses and nothing much else. Good. Ignoring the thick violet dome in our way (probably the 'firewall' Eulith was talking about), that'd make exiting all the more easier. Out of curiosity, I walked right up to it and gave it a slight touch. Gasping in surprise, more so than pain, I jumped back.

"It's freezing!" I yelled back at Ophelia, wincing as I realised she was right behind me, "Sorry…" I murmured, sheepishly. She laughed. Weird, Ophelia wasn't one to enjoy others' pain, it was near the opposite.

"It's not like _that_, Inori, it's just…that was the exact same reaction you had when you first touched the borderlines!" I tried to remember that incident, with little success. "Just walk through, like…that." And Ophelia _pushed _through the dome, mime-style and disappeared. I eagerly followed suit, with the sensation of swimming, in the Antarctic, washing over me. Fortunately, it didn't last, and I stumbled out, gasping a little. I absorbed my new surroundings, and realised why the firewall wasn't transparent.

"The Internet…is like this?" Completely different from the city inside the barriers, it went for the more traditional look of tall skyscrapers. Roads, now cracked with wear, networked the place. What could have once been thriving cities were now in ruins. What wasn't reduced to rubble looked ready to collapse. Fortunately, they were sturdier than they looked, since we were in the shadow of a particularly large building. We stepped out of it anyway.

"Courtesy of the Botnet and countless malware. Yes. Let's consider ourselves lucky that there're plenty of safe zones. Anyway, see that violet speck in the distance?" she pointed with her unoccupied hand, to the horizon. The city stretched on and on… Framed by the broken remains of a few skyscrapers, was a small dome.

"Our destination, right? But that's at least a couple of kilometres. How exactly…?" Ophelia released her sack and knelt, as if in prayer. I was about to ask what exactly she was doing, when her star-shaped pendant began to glow and…levitate? The warm glow was soon replaced with a beacon. Looking at her silhouette, I could see strips of clothing pulsing out from her necklace, covering her entire figure. Then, the light intensified, and I looked away.

"Like this, Inori." I finally looked back at Ophelia, my eyes widening at her transformation. Where her subdued dress was just seconds ago, a Cosplay-like outfit took its place (still just as modest of course). Apart from her necklace (now part of her outfit, like a large, star-shaped breastplate), Ophelia's costume took its colour palette from the flag of Norway; red, blue and white. Her dress was multi-layered and lightly frilled at each end and a hat sat on her head, a bit like a cavalier's one, with the flowers, feathers and a ribbon in her hair, but with a very prominent upturned brim. And to finish it off, some fancy opera gloves. Ophelia pointed at the skyscraper's wall beside her. A red ring the size of a large hula hoop appeared. Then she did the same thing, but this time on top of a distant building. The hoop in the wall changed from brick to a vista. "We teleport!" Ophelia shouted, and grabbing the sack, leapt through. I looked gingerly at the portal, as if it were going to bite me, then slowly…carefully, I stepped in…and walked out of an apartment wall. Looking behind be, I could still see the ground we had just stood on. Even though we were on the kind of balcony with solid iron grails up to the shoulders, the sheer height of it made me queasy.

"So…protection, huh?" I asked, Opera, looking at her star-necklace-now-breastplate. I thought about my shield-badge and wondered what kind of 'protection' I'd get from it.

"Yes, in the form of a very useful transportation. Hence why people like me as a messenger." 'Useful' was a bit of an understatement. Our starting point was just a small splodge in the distance.

"Couldn't you be more than a delivery girl? I mean, there's got to be plenty of people who need to travel to other cities and all…" She shook her head.

"Once I did. And I was good at it too. But now, I leave those kinds of things to other browsers. Letters you see, even with their paper bodies, are much less fragile than people…bad memories. Can we change the subject?" I opened my mouth to do so, when a man's scream somewhere behind the building did the work for me. Ophelia, eyes wide, placed her sack securely between a cast-iron seat and a table and quietly generated a portal to the ground. "Don't move an inch. I'll be right back." She stepped into the wall and the loop disappeared right after. _Damn…she anticipated_ _my thoughts._. Looking down from the balcony, I saw her round the apartment, then…nothing. How long had it been? Five minutes? Ten? I wanted to _see_. The balcony door was locked shut. Adding a little more pressure, the rust gave way and I was through. The apartment room could have been cosy once, with its fading Persian carpet and tasteful wooden furniture, but after something akin to a tornado hit it, it just felt…_sad_. The doors leading to the rest of the apartments didn't even swing. They literally collapsed. There had to be some emergency stairs somewhere…and finding it, I began my descent, wishing that my business dress had a slit in it…

Ophelia finished off the last of the malware, a humanoid leech-like being, slime oozing from its pores, with an unceremonious kick in the stomach. It burst in an explosion of flesh and…some indescribable gristle. The terrified young man had nearly been consumed by them. Lucky him. But…where was he now? She had told him to take cover before the fight, but now, he'd disappeared. To lose the person just after she'd saved him…that would be a tragedy. A horrible thought passed her mind. Ophelia hurriedly ran to the other side of the building. There was no trace of Inori. _'If the capture was a farce…Then…that man…' _She sprinted back to the doorway, hoping she was not too late.

After a few uncomfortable and uneventful flights, I reached ground level. I peered out of the emergency door. Empty. I walked out. Unlike the more cramped upstairs, the reception was designed to impress. A formerly luxurious red carpet covered the floor and the remains of a chandelier lay shattered in the centre.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and whirled around, knocking a terrified man to the ground. Carpets! Stupid sound mufflers…

"S-sorry." Apologising, I gave him my hand. He was probably in his early 20s, with the typical surfer-build: blinding yellow hair and blue eyes. And right now…blushing? "Uh…" I started, "so, you screamed back then?" He nodded, but didn't reply. "Do you…know where the exit is? I need to find a friend…" he pointed to the large wooden door a few metres away, unnoticeable in the dim light. "Thanks. I think you'd better come too. She could help." Unlike most of the building, the door seemed to defy destruction, and was well cleaned. I turned the knob to find it wasn't working. Strange. Perhaps the door was warped? One more twist…and yes, it was officially locked. I looked for an alternative exit. No windows. What…? "The doo-"asking half in question to the guy, half in surprise, I looked around…he was gone. "Hello…?" the reception was silent. Maybe it was time to go back up. The emergency door opened without a problem. It was the stairs which got me. Standing on the nearest flight, was a…thing, not moving an inch. Barely human, where its eyes should have been were two hollows, where skin was, bone…I closed the door with more force than necessary. I was not alone. As I turned, another of those…things was inches away from me, bloody mouth frozen in a smile. I couldn't even scream. How did he sneak up on me? The carpets. Of course, the building must have had a lot of visitors, so they needed some way to muffle the sound. But it served another purpose now. My hearing was stolen. I backtracked to the exit, keeping my eyes fixed on the Hollow-eyed figure. It followed shortly after, his friend from the stairs joining him. The door was still locked. And now I was surrounded, by two…monsters. In tandem, their faces made a disjointed smile and opened their jowls to kill. _Protection. _A faint glow emanated from the badge in my breast pocket. Just centimetres from my skin, they stopped. I ducked out of the circle and the glow disappeared. The hollow-eyed monsters whipped their heads in my direction, sharp scowls reaching to their jawbones and lunged. _Swipe. _My right arm involuntarily went to my left and _whipped _out at them, and for a second, turned blue. The two stumbled back, clutching their faces and burst into pieces. With the adrenaline still coursing through me, I returned to the emergency door, trying to control my shaky hands.

"Um…" I spun around, on edge. That guy again! His reappearing act didn't do anything for my nerves. Fine, if he wanted to he could come with us. I almost reached the handle, when the door burst open.

"Fia!" accidentally using her childish nickname. But she didn't pay attention. Pushing herself past me, Ophelia pointed at the ground the surfer-guy was on, then at the ceiling above him. Two rings appeared there. His screams, though loud, were dampened. After she decided he had enough falling, she beckoned to the ceiling portal and shifted it to the right. I heard an audible crunch. "What…?" She simply locked me in a hug.

"Door…locked…had to go…long way…never-mind. Look at it." Ophelia pointed at the figure on the ground. There was no sign of the man. In his place, a mutilated figure, with the mouth of a leech... "An elaborate trick, using a Trojan, just for the sake of killing you…" I found myself cutting through the body, soon exploding due to the stress. She turned away, observing the room, and frowned as her eyes passed the patches of gore where the monsters had attacked me. "I'm glad you remembered how to defend yourself." I shook the remnants of the 'Trojan' off me.

"Let's get out of here."

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**Please review constructively.**

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**And a fight scene is born! Her mini video showed what she could do...maybe this is what Inori was like in her early stages?**


	5. Aria

**Disclaimer: I do not own Aizawa Inori nor anything affiliated to her apart from this Fan-fiction.**

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We had portaled nearly all the way to our destination, when Ophelia collapsed onto the cracked road. I quickly helped support her.

"What…?" She brushed me off.

"Stay…back…" A white incandescence emanated from her. I quickly stepped away. As soon as I did so, Ophelia's breastplate shimmered brightly, encasing her in light once again. In a few minutes, she was back in her regular dress.

"Sorry if I worried you Inori. The transformation is only temporary. It's even shorter if we overexert ourselves. We'll have to walk the rest of the way." While we were finishing the rest of the distance, I took a good look at _my _transformation. Now knowing it didn't last, I wanted to know what it looked like. All traces of my business attire was gone, replaced with an outfit similar to Ophelia's. But where her costume was mostly red and silver, mine was full of blue. I was in some kind of Japanese sailor-schoolgirl's uniform, with an _overly short _miniskirt. The thigh high socks did _not _compensate for it. When I brushed my hair back, I felt a small clip on the side. I felt sort of cheated. Ophelia got a hat and ribbon and my transformation gave me a _hair clip_? But the biggest part of the outfit was my glove. Jet black with some white highlights (a circle on the back of my hand plus a thick stripe), which almost reached my left shoulder. I felt like a half complete Tron-lady. I was happy that it probably saved my life though. How did I do it again? I tentatively placed my fingers on the white part of my glove. _Swipe. _I found myself jerking my right arm out, with some kind of blue panel sticking on it. I had defeated two…worms with some…plexiglass? I asked Ophelia, currently ahead of me if that was what they were, and she gave me a strange, amused look. "They're called tabs, Inori." Eventually, I had to stop practicing with it, and I reverted back to business suit mode. Fortunately, it was nothing like Ophelia's, just kind of dissipating gradually, from my hairband, then gloves and finally shoes. I patted around and sure enough, my badge was back in my breast-pocket. Sighing, I walked in silence next to her. Once I remembered more, would this kind of occurrence become an everyday thing? The fight had actually stirred up some hazy images. Robots, eyeless humanoids, demonic crawlers…had I met with them all? Trapped in my thoughts, I didn't notice the icy barrier until it was too late.

"Gah!" the feeling of cold water ran through my face, making me stumble back and land ungainly on my rear. I salvaged the moment by breaking the fall with my hands. If a random passer-by had looked, I'd just be reclining in front of a firewall. Ophelia politely helped me up and we walked through together.

She smiled. "Time for some deliveries. Let's move." I decided it was bad manners letting her carry the whole weight of her sack, so after a minor debate on how to hold it, we ended up in a sort of hand lock, the letter-bag in the middle. It turned out that all we had to do was walk to the city centre. Ophelia then yelled out the names written on each message. Surprisingly, it worked. Given what happened back home (? Despite not knowing much, it felt like it), I probably knew in the back of my mind that mail must have been a pretty big thing. Soon, we'd drawn an even larger crowd than Ophelia's last appearance had. Mail apparently, was more of an event here. Either that or this city was just bigger. I noticed a few five story buildings around. Every letter handed out was eagerly snatched up and torn open, each reader babbling the contents out excitedly then thanking us warmly for the delivery. The large sack quickly dwindled in size. From a first-prize plush, then to a pillow and finally…nothing. The crowd, realising there was nothing left, temporarily died down…then quickly regained in fervour for another reason. _Sending _letters. Soon, we were left carrying a full bag again, all addressed back to home-base (Ophelia specifically yelled the place). I sat underneath the large city square oak, trying to catch my breath from the buzz everyone had made. Ophelia soon joined me.

"So…wha-" I was interrupted with a small rumbling sound…hungry? Come to think of it, I hadn't eaten anything apart from this morning's ice cream. And it was already mid-afternoon. It sounded like gluttony, but considering what I had faced today, beating a few angry worms and then trudging towards a faraway city, I'd probably done enough to have some food. "What's for lunch?" Ophelia's eyes widened.

"Come to think of it…" an audible rumble. This time, not from me. I looked at her, her face reddening. "I haven't eaten since six!" Being a 'web browser'… it's that demanding? Some occupation I had. Ophelia quickly recovered and stood up. "I know the perfect place. We've got a few hours before returning back, so let's go!" This city was a little more urban, with infrequent parks and a few trees. Still no roads though. Only after a few turns, we reached a busy department store, full of people just like us, probably taking a break from their schedule and looking for something to eat. Fortunately, most were either inside the stores, or window shopping, so the large sack between us travelled unnoticed. We had reached the second level, when Ophelia stopped in front of an unassuming establishment. I could hear a person singing tunelessly inside. _Wrecking Ball…? _Looking at the billboard over the open door, I realised I could read Japanese. _Karaoke Bar…_I'm pretty sure this wasn't a Japanese invention, but, hey, so were fortune cookies (weren't they…Western?). "Let's try and find a seat. This place is actually pretty popular." Walking in, I was greeted with carpet. Red, luxurious, _sound muffling_ carpet. Shuddering, I spotted a seat for two, somewhere annoyingly close to the stage. Unfortunately, I only found out after we were seated and in the middle of our spaghetti bolognese. During this, we were treated to the long version of the Sailor Moon theme song by a brunette lady. Oh, the irony. Apart from the singing though, the lunch was surprisingly satisfying, belying the strange blend of Japanese paintings and pop-art scattered across the room. I had just wiped the remains of the pasta from my face when a red faced man completed his surprisingly enjoyable rendition of _Dynamite_. I looked at Ophelia for permission, "Go ahead. It's free." and I walked tentatively to the stage.

"Any preference?" the man on the side of the stage asked me.

"Just something…meaningful." I was not going to be caught singing about the days of the week. Positioning myself, I grabbed the mike and looked carefully at the overhead TV, trying to ignore the large amount of diners here. A somewhat catchy melody started playing, the name of the song showing up on the screen. _Bad Apple_…a Japanese song… I took a deep breath as the lyrics started rolling.

_Even within the midst of flowing time,_

_Look, indifference still goes round and round_

_As for me, my heart has separated from me_

_I can't see it. Is it true I don't know?_

Ouch…singing felt challenging. I realised I was completely tense and attempted a relaxed pose.

_Even if I don't move,_

_I continue to be lengthened in the cracks of time_

_I don't understand the rotation_

_I am me. That's it_

Hmm, despite the speed of the song, I liked it. I breathed in, more comfortable with this, readying myself for the next verses.

_Am I seeing a dream? Am I seeing nothing?_

_Are the words that I'm speaking useless?_

_I'm just tired of the sadness_

_"Feeling nothing" is best_

_Even if I were to speak these bewildering words,_

_My heart is just the upper sky_

_What if I was able to move_

_Everything would return and I'd turn it black_

I know the guy picked out something random, but this felt… right, despite my shaky start. The song spoke to me. Even though I've re-discovered so much…a life under an electric sky…where I truly was…is still out of my reach.

_Is this time pointless? Is there a future?  
Do I exist in a place like this?  
If I were to hurt,  
Then the words would be: "good for nothing"  
Do I exist in a place like this?  
Do I exist in a time like this?  
If this me were to be able to change,  
If I were to change, would I turn white?_

_About you, about me,  
About everything—I still don't know a thing  
If my emotional eyelids were to open,  
Then I'd break everything Let it all turn to black!_

Sadly, there was no scoring system here. Instead, I looked at the audience. Considering the applause, I must have done a pretty decent job. Taking a small curtsey, I hurried off the stage, seating myself back with the now beaming Ophelia. A young lady was already taking my place, politely asking to sing _Royals_.

"So…anything?"

"Karaoke is…fun." While singing, I felt as if I could reach out towards whatever emotions or memories I had forgotten and reassert my place in this world. It was more than fun. It was exhilarating. My brow furrowed a little. A piece of my subconsciousness hadn't left me. "There's something missing here…" Ophelia looked at me, slightly confused. "We didn't go alone like this…there's another person, but…but…" a firm hand clasped my shoulder. I turned around in panic. A guy, probably about 16, but still taller than me by half a head was the culprit. What exactly was with his hair? Longer even than Ophelia's and a dark flush amber, it was tied in a loose flowing ponytail.

"Nice singing…Inori." And flashed a vulpine smile. The memory clicked.

"Fenrir…" I whispered back. Then frowned. "Tell me, why _exactly _did you name yourself after a _wolf _when your last name, Inari, is the Japanese god of _foxes_?" He half laughed.

"Look, we've been through this before…" I struggled to remember, but no luck. I whispered back to Ophelia for some assistance, who was currently staring blankly at the sob-worthy performance of _Thriller_. She jumped as if electrocuted and immediately talked in hushed tones back to Fenrir. "Amnesia...? Post-update memory loss…?" He went quiet for a while. "So…you still remember me right Inori?" I shook my head. His name just popped into my mind. Fenrir pulled a mock downcast face. "It looks like we have some reacquainting to do. See, we were dati–"

"That's not true, and you know it, _Firefox_." I was surprised when I heard Ophelia interject. It appeared she'd regathered her energy. "She's already taken. Inori, let's go." As soon as she grabbed the sack, Fenrir swiped it in such a way, that it left her whirling back into her chair.

"Doesn't stop me from trying." He muttered, examining the letter-bag. "All addressed to…Madroia. OK!" Ophelia was about to grab it back, when he bolted. She got out of the seat, and started running, paying the clerk with a slip of paper. I jogged after her. We were soon out of the shopping centre. Where…?

"The firewall!" Looking at the direction Ophelia was pointing in, I saw a flash of amber turn back the way we'd entered the place. Ignoring the freezing sensation, I leapt straight through…and crashed into Fenrir, leaving us in a compromising position. I rolled off immediately. A deep sky-blue bird was flying in the distance, holding…the letters. Ophelia joined my side, helping me up. "Don't worry. As much as I don't like it, they're in good hands." She turned to Fenrir, who was brushing the dust off of his shirt. "You could have at _least _given us the decency to tell us what you were going to do." He just smiled.

"_You _wouldn't have let me _Opera_. See? It's not nice to call friends by their business name. Now…I'm coming with you two. You're probably going back now right? The Internet's a dangerous place, especially when it's getting dark like this. I mean, with Inori out of action like th-"

"_You _just got tackled by her, Fenrir." Ophelia pointed out. He just shrugged it off.

"Well…y'know…semantics. And thank-you." She sighed and fiddled with her necklace. Soon she was back into her transformed state. Ophelia pointed at the ground,

"We don't _need_ help. We'll be…back…" she frowned, as no ring appeared. She sighed. "It looks like I can't teleport at the moment anyway, so I guess…let's just go." And we walked in silence, the purple in the distance blending with the afternoon sun. "Inori, stay next to me."

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**I guess I need to acknowledge Touhou Project for their awesome song.**

** . (for the video, just select View Kanji)**

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**As per usual, please comment constructively! Thanks.**


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